Kid's Games
by Kansas Kusuri
Summary: A Battle Royale and Kingdom Hearts combinationfic: the kids of Destiny Prefecture's class C2 have been chosen to carry out the Battle Royale act, though we are only able to document belatedly the occurences of that year's program.
1. Pregame 1

Um, so. Doesn't everyone think that it would be cool to have the Kingdom Hearts kids playing a _Battle Royale_ game? You know, killing each other and all that fun stuff? No? Oh, well...

Do be familiar with the plot of _Battle Royale_ while reading this story - They idea belongs to Takami and the characters to Nomura.

* * *

"_Gramma_, you're being a pain! Why did you pack all this? It's just a school trip, for only three days so I don't need Advil, and are you-- oh, _don't_ bake cookies! Grammaaaa!"

The old woman laughed, pulling a tray from the oven. "But they're _done_, Kairi dearest. Now come on-- you may not want them, but I bet your friends will."

The girl grabbed a cookie from the top of the pile, and ate half of it in one bite. "You're going to make them fat, Gramma. Me too. Oooh, but--" she giggled, attention flitting about as that of teenage girls is apt to do. "I'm so excited! My first school trip.."

"Yes," the woman smiled fondly, drawing up a chair across from her granddaughter. "I remember trips that we took. Never as fancy as a whole island resort, though! You're a lucky girl."

--

Sora went through his bag again-- little flask of whiskey hidden (Riku'd gotten it) in the side-pocket, his GameBoy, some books and clothes and one school notebook-- pretense for the few minutes that the class would be required to 'learn'. He had everything. He grinned and zipped the bright-blue nylon bag and went to bed.

--

"Hey, hey! I beat Seifer's old score! Finally, it's MY high score!" Pence cheered and Olette giggled. "You're awesome, Pence!"

Hayner approached Roxas and handed the boy a Coke. "Hey, wanna play? I bet I can break that punk's record, nothing doing!"

The blonde boy took the drink but shook his head. "I don't like arcade games. They're dull." Hayner shrugged. "Suit yourself, man. Pence, you look _out_!"

Roxas's eyes were flat and cold as he watched the three of them.

--  
"Yuffie, please stop calling me. You're excited. I get it."

The slightly-mechanical voice took no heed of Leon's exasperation.  
--

5 am and the girl dressed slowly. The silly schoolgirl uniform did have it's benefits...there was a set of credit cards on the motel's dresser table. She picked them up and kissed her reflection-- lipstick smeared but she knew that a cheap hole like this wouldn't bother with that DNA detective shit-- before turning to survey the body behind her.

"Sorry, dear, but that's what you _get_ for touching an innocent little schoolgirl like me." Larxene pouted her lips cutely, but it was wasted on her victim-- of course, because the man was quite dead, a bloody knife wound in between his eyes. "But death's better then going to jail on rape charges, and oh--! I've got a school trip to go on, sorry, mister!"

--

Marluxia had better things to do, and was considering skipping the whole wretched thing. He (his father, rather) was rich enough to _buy_ the silly island.

But he prided himself on his good temper, and that meant going along with his pathetic schoolmates for a weekend. Fine, fine. And who knows-- he might get the chance to push one of the more annoying ones (read, that whiny Demyx kid, but those annoying Trios would be just as good) off into the ocean and watch them drown. That'd be fun times indeed!  
--

Axel fucking hated the idea of school trips. Why oh why should he bother? He'd rather stay at home this weekend, mess with the ladies and play basketball. But they were mandatory and he guessed that an 'island retreat' was a better theme then 'springtime in Venice' or something queer like that. Besides, he hadn't really seen his friends too much, not lately-- maybe this trip would be a good time just to catch up and hang out and all that stuff-- Damn, already 6 am-- Alright, time to go.

--

A computer screen went beepbeepbeep and a paired letter and number came up in heavy black text-- C-2. The two men watching it exchanged glances and nodded, and the one in black picked up the phone. "Class C-2, of the Destiny Prefecture has been selected..."

--

About half the class was there when Sora, Riku, and Kairi arrived, just milling about the school door before the large coach bus would arrive. The three of them snagged a bench, and while Riku and Kairi talked cheerfully and went over the glossy brochure again, Sora sleepily watched the others.

The other kids from _their_ island were present-- Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka, nicknamed 'the _other_ Golden Trio', the first being Sora and his current seatmates. To their left, was Naminé, a girl who would spend hours sketching her classmates instead of studying, chatting pleasantly with the kid nicknamed Replica, so dubbed when Sora had jokingly started to say that he had the _mis_fortune of looking just like Riku. He was quite in love with the blonde artist, and she was probably the only one who didn't know it. Between those two and the first three, the Twilight Town foursome was sitting about on the pavement. These kids were new-- the Twilight and Destiny prefectures had merged not too long ago. Sora didn't know them real well. The other _group_ that he saw was the...study nerds, for lack of a better word. Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaeus, and Zexion. Those five were big into science-- well, Xigbar and Xaldin not so much, but they were still academia-driven-- and math and stuff and so _of course_ were friends. There were a couple loners he could pick out-- there was another of his friends, Axel, the redhead who was popular with girls and an absolute _beast_ in terms of basketball and other sports, seemed just as tired as Sora was. Also, Cloud, the quiet, but serious guy who was kind of cool, once you got to know him, was looking quite out of place with his own 'group' – the hyper girl Yuffie, 'tall dark and handsome' Leon (Kairi's words), sweet Aerith and cheerful Tifa.

Further observations was cut short by the bus's arrival. "Come on, sleepyhead!"

Sora's only reply was a tired "Nrrgghh."  
--

The bus ride. Was. Taking. Forever. There had been no sets of three seats, so Kairi had ended up sitting next to Naminé in a seat near the front, while Sora and Riku were in the back. "I don't get it..." Sora muttered, looking over Riku to the window. "It's been _four hours._ How far are we going?"

His friend barely looked up from the handheld game he was playing with. "They probably got lost or something-- who cares? Besides, after this there's a boat, so just be _patient._"

--

It was about noon when Riku noticed something..._weird_. Sora had fallen asleep on his shoulder ages ago, but that wasn't anything unusual as the damn kid slept all the time. It was when he had gently pushed his friend off of him so he could get up and go talk to someone else, and seen that Cloud across the aisle appeared to be asleep; that in fact there _was_ no one else to talk to that things started to not make sense. Who the hell takes a nap anymore? he wondered, irritated, as he moved to get up and shake someone awake.

But his hand was sluggish and clumsy. It wasn't...wasn't moving right...he made it to his feet, clutching the chair in front of him, but as soon as he was upright, he felt a terrible light-headed dizziness and he fell back down again. What was...he wasn't tired; still his eyelids were heavy, leaden, and he couldn't stop their shutting. _The hell..._ was the last thing that went through his mind before unconsciousness overcame him.

--

Kids are easy to handle. Pick them up, snap on the collar, drop them on the boat. The deckhand Pete was used to this job. Sad, sad, that they'd never be seen again, but it _was_ the law, and besides, he made an absolute fortune getting them from bus to island. It always changed; they'd call him and tell him to be at such a such a place cuz it was this or that prefecture's turn. He laughed aloud at this, and grinned at the pretty brunette girl – it was the gentle girl Aerith, though Pete didn't know or care – he'd just collared. "Turn, turn, sorry, little lady, but it's your turn now."

--

Sora groaned, consciousness returning to him slowly. His _head_ hurt. He sat up, slowly, dizziness coming and going in waves. What on Earth had happened..? He looked around the room that he was in-- it was a classroom and-- around him, several of his classmates were waking up, muttering amongst themselves, trying to get up, or simply looking about in confusion as he was. Axel was in the desk next to him-- so Sora caught his friend's eye, and was about to say something, but Axel shook his head and made a motion for Sora to _shut up_, green eyes deathly serious. He pointed to the front of the room, where a man with long blue hair and a crossed scar over his eyes was watching the class with something bordering on amusement.

It was not long before the others saw him as well, and as they did, they stopped talking. Sora scanned the room quickly again-- good, Riku and Kairi were towards the front of the room, but they weren't hurt.

As soon as the room was completely silent, the man nodded and started to speak.

"Good evening, class. I am Saix; one of three directors, or if you will, teachers, for this year's game. There is no point in confusing you, or drawing this out. You, Destiny Prefecture's freshman class C-2, has been selected to carry out the Battle Royale law's requirements for this year." This announcement was met with some small, terrified shrieks and the man banged his fist against the blackboard for quiet. It came and he continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "For those of you to uneducated to know the laws-- this is a program that was implemented by the Government seven years ago. To control the _worthless_ youth in our country--" Sora would have cried out against this slander, but it had the idea that what this guy was saying, was _important._ "It was ordered that each year, one randomly selected class from one of the nine prefectures-- eight, now-- would get a turn to play--" his face, so far cold and vacant, was suddenly lit with some sort of sadistic pleasure and his mouth turned up in a sneer. "Play until only one member of the class is left alive. In a word-- kill the others until _you_ are declared the _winner._"

This finality; these terrible words spoken in such an impartial tone, was enough to set off the students again. "What do you _mean_--" this was Leon, "we've been chosen? You're not allowed--"

"Yeah!" broke in another voice, and Sora recognized it as Wakka's. "You can't just do this-- we were on our _trip_, not for some crazy fucking--"

But Sora was quite sure that this was true. Crazy, yeah, because who would have ever thought that _he'd_ be forced into this Act? One prefecture, one class, a year-- but there were so many classes! Even if his high school was chosen-- and the odds of that were low-- there were still six other classes that could have been selected. The _odds_ were just so high and the law was kept so...well, so quiet, really. Kids were barely aware of it, a few seconds on the news to say, "...and the Battle Royale law was met the other day; thanks to in the Traverse prefecture's class A-3.."

But now it _was_ him, was _his_ class's turn. He grimaced, but bit his lip-- it seemed that this crazy 'teacher' was going to speak again and that was what was most important right now-- he could wonder _why_ this game in a minute, he decided, but he had to know _how_ it worked right now.

The man took a piece of chalk and drew a distorted shape on the board. "This is an approximation of the island's shape. And these--" the man scored the picture with a sort of grid-- like tic-tac-toe or Battleship, Sora thought. "Are the zones. There are 36 zones altogether and we can monitor you in each and every one of them. Kindly turn your attention to the band about your necks."

Instinctively, the class touched their necks, and each found a cold, thick, metal band there. Some started trying to pry at it, to try and force it off-- nothing doing. Saix smirked again. "They won't come off. And if you force them, they'll explode, and take your head along with it." As he spoke, the kids who had been tugging at the collars first froze, then lowered their hands delicately and deliberately, as if afraid of setting off a bomb. "We can track where you are on this island by the band-- it is equipped with a tracking device as well as an explosive. Now, back to the subject of zones-- we don't want you to be hiding from each other forever. The law's parameters call for the game to be completed in three days and three nights, and that won't happen if you cowards are hiding. So every 9 hours, a new set of three zones is made off-limits. Anyone loitering in the zones--" he indicated the collar and nodded grimly. "Dies. Is that clear?" The class's silence said _crystal._

"Good! That is the only rule-- don't get caught in an off-zone. We're too far from land to swim for shore-- you'll drown if you try it. The school's zone goes off limits five minutes after the last student leaves the building, so don't hang around. Other then that, we don't care what you do-- but at the end of the game, if there are still even two people left, the explosives about each of their necks will be activated. In short, if there is not _one_ winner, we have no problem making it _no_ winner." His eyes-- they were a peculiar, intense gold hue-- flashed, and his words were measured, meaningful. "Do you understand that? There is no way that you can organize, no way you can resist. You _will_ kill each other, or you will all die-- but either way, the law is carried out."

The door opened slowly at this point. Saix, and the class, turned to see what it was. And that-- it was three soldiers, nicknamed by the people "Dusks" for their peculiar, yet indestructible, silver uniforms. They came dragging the sort of baggage cart still used in hotels, a platform on wheels laden with bags. Sora frowned, forcing himself not to panic at the horrible rules he'd just heard (_later, later, I'm sure there's some way out but I've got to talk to Riku and Kairi and Axel and Leon first..._) and instead, tried to make sense of this development. He _had_ a bag, already-- they had not taken the blue nylon one from him, it was laying on the floor by his desk. So why another one?

"Supply packs." Came the answer to his unspoken question. Was he insane, or had Saix's gold eyes been focused on him as he had spoken..? "You each get to choose one, it hardly matters which. Inside is a water bottle-- all power on this island had been cut off-- some food, a blanket, a map of the island, and a weapon. These weapons have been selected randomly, and they range from diving knifes to machine guns. You will, of course, being using them to kill the others."

It was so...so very systematic. Saix had barely stopped in his monologue and nobody, _nobody_ had done anything to stop him-- even though he was telling them to _murder their friends!_ Sora wanted to laugh, he did. So this is how the Battle Royale act was carried out? Pretty crazy, pretty sick! Some girls – Yuffie, he saw, and that girl from Twilight, Olette, were crying softly, but other then them-- everyone had the same blank, vacant expression. Sora imagined it was the calm before a storm of understanding, of comprehending this situation they'd been so abruptly thrown into.

And...he was ashamed, but yes, he was wondering who _would_ play. Most of them were good, yes, most of them wereperfectly safe. But some...his eyes darted to Marluxia, the rich, spoiled boy who had _always_ considered himself above the rest. Would he...? And on the other end, there was Larxene, who all the girls called a _slut_ and _crazy._ Sora didn't know her very well, but her expression-- bored blue eyes looking, out the window she was seated by, pretty mouth turned into a sneer – showed that she wasn't worried _at all._ And then...there were the Twilight kids. Hayner and his group seemed fine-- Hayner was loud, but cool, from what Sora knew of him, and the others – Pence, Olette, Roxas – wouldn't play either. What worried him was the other three – Seifer, Fuu, Rai, bullies who always seemed to get into fights with other classes.

_No, no, Sora, you've got to_ trust _them! What did they do?!_ He looked again to his friend Axel, who just shrugged. He was...he was _grinning_, and that gave Sora a bit more confidence. _Yeah...we're all together on it. We can figure out a way to escape, I'm sure! Just have to..trust. Yeah.._

This train of thought was cut off by Saix's cold voice, ringing out and demanding attention. "There is one thing left before orientation is--" _call it orientation, like some kind of school thing? I hate you.._ "over." A Dusk took a pile of small slips of paper from the schooldesk, and placed it on the desk closest to his-- where the artist Naminé took them in a slightly trembling hand-- and motioned for them to be passed around. Another did the same thing with pencils. _A test...?_ Sora wondered, briefly, and again, Saix answered his thought in his eerie manner. "Write down the name of _one_ person that you swear to kill. It's a bit of...motivation, I suppose." he concluded, smiling _pleasantly_ at them, as if he wasn't insane and as if this stupid, bizarre game meant nothing. "In two minutes, we will start allowing you out."

Sora _would not do it._ He had no intention of playing this game. But he picked up the pencil all the same, wondering if he'd ought to scrawl down any one's name, just as a joke. He wrote _Saix_ and it gave him some small, thought probably meaningless, comfort. As soon as he'd finished, he looked back at Axel, whose confidence had not seemed to have wavered. "Fun game so far, isn't it?" the redhead whispered, in a voice so quiet as to be barely audible even to Sora, who was sitting right next to him. "Wonder who'll win."

"If anyone plays." Sora murmured quietly and Axel seemed about to laugh. "They will."

Sora wanted to ask if Axel really believed that; time wouldn't allow. "Good. Now, of course you understand that letting you all out at once would be utterly unfair, right?" he didn't pause for an answer. "We will let you out one at a time, allowing a two minute interval for you to hide, or prepare to fight, or whatever strategy you choose. You'll be called out by--" he looked over the class, and the criteria he chose seemed almost arbitrary. "Seating arrangement, will do. The first then-- is you." he pointed to the kid in the farthest left desk in the front row. It was one of the Twilight kids-- Pence? Pence got up, slowly, nervous. "Yes, yes, hurry up." the instructor snapped. "Take a bag and get out, down the hallway there. _Remember_--" and he was speaking to the whole class, now. "The school zone goes off limits two minutes after the last one of you leaves."

_Nervous_, yes, but Sora was not panicked. It was not like him to do that. After Pence was Lexaeus and then...Riku was seventh out. He got up and grabbed a pack off the cart, not hesitating or stumbling at all. Still-- Riku and Sora locked eyes, briefly, before the silver-haired boy turned the corner. It was a testament to their friendship, how terribly well that they knew each other, that Sora could see that Riku was not calm at all, rather scared and _pissed_ about all this. His lips moved slightly, and Sora was quite sure he had said _I'll wait for you._

And then he was gone. Next was Kairi. She, too, made eye contact with Sora, as she took her bag and flicked a ruby strand of hair out of her eye-- bluffing confidence, Sora knew, and he wondered what the others would think when it came his turn. But he was towards the back of the room and so was not yet his turn...

Who else? Marluxia picked up a bag with a cold sneer, Larxene took one with no expression whatsoever. Axel, in a wonderful display of pseudo-defiance, did not allow a Dusk to hand him a bag-- he punched the soldier in the gut instead, neatly catching the bag. "Sorry, sorry..." he'd said flippantly to Saix's glare. And after Axel-- Sora, wasn't it. When his name _was_ called, he stood slowly, deliberately.

The bag was heavier then he would have thought. The blanket? No, probably whatever _weapon_ was in it...but he took it, and did not look out at the class as he went. Cowardly, yes, but-- he was sure his eyes, his face, somehow betrayed his nervousness and he would not have his friends remembering Sora leaving scared.

But _would_ Riku and Kairi be waiting? If he was with them, at least, he was sure they could figure something out. And besides...yeah! Sora smiled, allowing himself to start to think, now that he was away from the classroom and Saix's horrible gold eyes. They'd get together, work out some plan-- _no one_ was playing. Who would be? No one could kill their own classmates.

Sora stepped out of the school, expecting to hear Riku or see Kairi's bright hair but instead was faced with the body of Selphie Tilmitt.


	2. Pregame 2

Chapter 2:D Warnings for some violence and character death, of course.

Battle Royale is Takami's, Kingdom Hearts, Nomura's.

------------------

The end for Selphie had come quickly and without pain. She was the sixth one out, and had stumbled, crying to herself, from the school. Tidus and Wakka, her best friends, were still in there...what if ,what if she never saw them again?! Her thoughts of-- _What will I do what will I--_ were cut off quickly with the soft _hsssthunk_ noise of a bright silver arrow penetrating through her skull.

"Oh..." It was a surprised, dazed sound, and her green eyes slid slowly to see what had hit her. _Oh..._ echoed again through her mind before her eyes rolled backwards in her skull. She was dead before she fell to the ground.

--

She was the first thing that Riku had seen as well. He had been planning on waiting for Sora and Kairi, but seeing this-- _shit!_ he ran to the girl's side, turned her over. No doubt-- she was dead. The thing coming from her head...it was, what, exactly? But even more troubling-- her _bag_ was still on her. If the killer hadn't stolen her bag then-- "He's still here! Kairi, get back!"

It was precisely at this instant that Kairi had arrived on the school's porch, looking at the scene before her – dead girl and best friend oh god it's starting – dazedly. It was instinct that saved her, causing her to jump back as a silver arrow sped in from the left, hitting the wooden column on the school. "What was...Riku, what's going on..."

"Dammit!" Riku cursed, getting up and running back to the school to grab Kairi's arm. "Change of plans, come on, Kai, we've got to _go_."

"But Sora--"

"Sora's a big kid, he can take care of himself and he'd rather not see us dead! Now come on, _run_!"

She did not have to be told twice and they took off running straight ahead, into the fringe of the island's thick forest.

--

When Sora saw this, he instantly understood-- _change of plans, huh, Riku?_ Had he stopped for a moment, he would have seen that Selphie's bag was gone, and so the killer, too, must have left. But he did not stop long enough to think-- he took off at full speed, hoping against all hope that Riku and Kairi had also taken off running straight ahead.

--

Seifer Almasy was waiting on the island's east end, perched jauntily on the top of a rock formation. He had not written down the name of some to kill; he had scribbled out instructions for his town. "east end" was all it had said as he passed it to Fuu. She'd given it to Rai, who sat in front of her, and Rai had stealthily passed it to the other four kids from Twilight-- Hayner, Pence, Roxas, Olette. They'd looked back. They understood.

Already, Hayner and Pence were with him, leaning on some of the lower rocks. "We're not going along with that." The blonde boy had said, resolutely, and Pence nodded agreement. "Kill them? Never."

"That's right." Seifer had replied, grinning cockily. In his hand he held the .357 Magnum revolver he'd found in his bag-- just for show, to show who was in charge. Seifer had never been big on those four-- he, Fuu, and Rai had taken care of discipline in Twilight just fine. But in a situation like this...towns stuck together. "Loyalty, you know." He'd explained to the other two. "I can't trust those damn kid from Destiny-- you saw that girl, they've already started-- but us seven, we can have ourselves a revolution. Take on the school, I don't know-- but we'll figure out _something._"

So now, it was just a matter of time before Fuu, Olette, and Rai showed up. Wait, he was leaving one out-- the three of them looked up at once, to where soft footfalls were gradually getting louder. Ah-- Seifer could see blonde, messy hair from where he was. It was Roxas.

Pence and Hayner got up from the rock to greet their friend. "You made it, alright!" Hayner said, cheerfully, grinning. "Thought you'd get picked off first."

Pence grimaced. "That was way too tasteless, Hayner. Not cool. Anyway, Roxa--" The smaller boy had a gun as well-- an MP5, though it was easier recognized just as a submachine gun. And in an instant, the tip of that gun was pushing gently into Pence's chin, forcing him to face towards the sky.

The only noise that the surprised Pence could make was a strangled sort of groan. Seifer looked on in alarm, hand closing tight on his own weapon's handle. "Roxas?" This was Hayner, sounding very, very confused. "Roxas, it's Pence! Put the gun down, what if you--"

The words 'hurt him' where rather ironically drowned out by the splatter-sound of 800 bullets/minute. Roxas's blue eyes never lost their eerie-calm blue hue as he angled the firearm slightly to spray Hayner across the chest and--

_Oh shit no, not like this. I won't have fucking traitors--_ Seifer was ready, fired, and...but too late. The lone bullet flew over Roxas's head while Seifer caught at least 4 in his face and throat. He fell from the rocks limply, to land in the shallows with a weak splashing noise.

Alone with three bodies, now, Roxas put the gun down gently and went to examine Hayner. Was it strange, that he had just killed someone? And someone who considered himself a _friend._ Roxas bent down, and lifted the dead boy's head up. His face was undamaged, but his chest was ripped apart, and Roxas pushed a winger into one of the wounds-- blood still warm, he realized. Even though the brown eyes stared at him, glossy, dead, and so _fucking_ surprised-- the blood was still alive.

He tried his hardest to conjure up the feelings. Tried to be guilty. Tried to be ashamed. Tried to be vindictive, grateful, pleased, horrified, upset, insane, _anything._ But of course, it did not come. Roxas, you see, did not have any sort of moral center. He did not know why, exactly, but ever since he could remember, he had never understood the ideas of 'right' and 'wrong'. There _are_ people like this, every so often, and they are dangerous-- called sociopaths and criminals but unable to care about it. Roxas simply did not understand emotion-- stealing candy as a child, hitting playground bullies back and twice as hard, lying, cursing, cheating, had never given him a single thrill of guilt or a minute of doubt. He had long wondered if murder would provoke some reaction from him, but even this...even this did not matter. He frowned, slightly, as he stood, Hayner's blood staining the front of his shirt. Even now, looking at the bodies of three kids, kids who had _trusted_ him...he shrugged. "Sorry. But the rules are to kill." Yes, he decided...he would play. He did not want to die; playing was the only way to live.

He picked up the other three bags, Seifer's revolver, and was off again in the darkness of night.

--

When Roxas had turned the gun on Seifer, Rai had _almost_ reacted. Almost, but not quite-- Fuu had stopped him, catching his arm and whispering in a deadly undertone, "No good."

They had been watching-- Seifer might think the other four were weak, but Fuu was not so quick to assume and she had made Rai stay with her. The had hidden in a nearby thicket, pressed low to the ground as they watched.

Now, though, that Roxas had left-- the looked at each other, shock playing over each of their faces. Rai grinned, though. "Fucking..fucking little traitor. What do ya know."

"Disgusting." Fuu replied, voice taciturn even though her face was visibly upset. "Revenge?"

"Oh, _Hell_ yeah. He ain't getting away-- let's follow him." They were off after Roxas and, at the time, he was unaware of them.

--

In a small house on the main street, there was someone under the table. This someone was shaking, terrified, and she was crying. Olette was absolutely wretched right now. Next to her sat the small black-and-white derringer-- she had no intention and no clue of how to use it. Go the east end, yes, go to the east end-- but leave it to her, she thought bitterly and self-deprecatingly-- leave it to that silly Olette to get _lost!_ The map had made no sense to her, and she had been almost the last one out. She had been crying before, and standing in front of the school-- oh, there was already a dead girl! A girl, she had thought, horrified, they'll kill the _girls._

This, more then anything else, scared her. They could be anywhere and-- that scared her. And the map...and the gun...it was far too much for a sweet, cheerful schoolgirl like her to comprehend. And so she'd found herself in the town, and then in front of an open sash window. She did not stop to consider who had lived there (Though it did not matter-- the island's inhabitants had been evacuated for the game's duration.) or if it might be dangerous, entering a house already open. All she knew was that _she had to get out of the open._

Her tears stopped but she shivered, clutching her knees and still whimpering from time to time. She missed her mom...her sweet, loving mom who had kissed her head and embarrassed her when Hayner and Pence and Roxas had picked her up. And her dad, who she hadn't seen that morning-- and who she'd probably never see again. _Never ever._ The words were awful and tears started afresh.

At one point, she imagined she heard fireworks. No. No. She heard _bullets._ Someone else, someone else was dying, right now, dead! She was so afraid and--

CRASH-- came a sound from the window she'd slipped in and introduced a whole new terror to the brown-haired girl. Someone was here. Maybe the person who had just shot people. Maybe someone playing. What if they were all playing? _Nonono..._

She sat absolutely still. Terrified, petrified, heart rate going up and up. _Stupid, traitor heart..!_ she thought, illogically. _What if they hear you!_

Footsteps. Light and measured. She saw shoes, dim in the moonlight, enter the room. A flashlight's beam shone upon the floor and she could see more clearly-- penny loafers, floppy socks-- a girl? That was good, though! Her heart rate slowed, some-- all the girls were good, right? Aerith and Yuffie and Kairi and--

"Is anyone here? Come on, I saw the sash broken...come out and play..."

_NO!_ was Olette's panicked thought. _Not her, not her, anyone but HER!_ The delicate, pretty voice belonged of course to-- Larxene. The bad girl. Who smoked and drank and who did other things, bad sex things, to the boys and to grown-ups and who would have absolutely no problem shooting a nice little girl like Olette. Or stabbing her. _No, no!_ her hand groped for her little pistol-- she touched it, but her hand was shaking so badly that when she lifted it, it fell almost immediately and skidded -- _so loudly_-- across the floor.

The thin beam went immediately to the table. "Found you! Come out!" Olette had no such intention-- but was that _fear_ she heard in Larxene's voice? It came again, and it was definitely afraid. "Please...? I...I'm not going to hurt you. I don't want to play..." The bigger girl's long, pretty legs were shaking, and then gave out. _Oh..._ She was _crying_, a sad smile on her face. "Please...I won't...I swear..."

Olette was, to say the least, dumbfounded. Larxene? Crying? Just like a...just like a normal girl. "It's..it's just me." Olette said, nervously crawling out from under the table. "Olette, you know. From Twilight..."

Larxene wiped at her tears, and looked apprehensive. "Oh. You-- you're a nice girl, aren't you? Olette, you wouldn't..you wouldn't hurt me, right? I know I'm not good, but I--"

"Don't worry!" The girl forced herself to relax, to smile, and to pretend that she had not really been considering shooting Larxene. _I thought, I though she would play! But she's nice! Oh, I'm so sorry, Larxene, so sorry..._ "I-- I don't want to play. Maybe--" she offered a happy face-- "Maybe, we can stay together. Since we're not...you know..."

"Really? You mean it?" The blonde girl's voice was so...so _grateful_, and Olette felt a new wave of guilt wash over her. _Can't judge by appearances. I forgot. But I can't. Look, she's so nice and you would have hurt her, silly, silly Olette._ "I'd love to! Me and you..an alliance, right?" Larxene's smile was shy, now, but at least the tears were gone. "I'd really like that..."

"Then it's settled! We'll work together. I promise." Olette hugged her new friend and Larxene hugged back-- and Olette was unlucky that she didn't see the other girl's face. Larxene's smile twisted into a smirk, a triumphant, victorious sort of pleasure playing across her pretty features. If Olette had seen, she would have known to run far, far away-- that Larxene was nothing but a liar who could cry fake tears and tell sweet stories. But Olette did not see and so now, Larxene laughed to herself, she had someone to take bullets for her. Perfect, and all according to plan.

--

Vexen was a practical student. Science was his passion; math was wonderful and dear to him as well. So to apply math to this situation-- meant to find the formula. What is the formula to winning a killing game? Vexen decided that it was a few strong allies to kill the others, and the ability to backstab them at the end.

He picked an ally accordingly.

His name had been called 12th, and he had seen the silly trio-girl outside. One out of six down, then...? He sniffed, disgusted, over her corpse. How useless. And...and now what? He had no intention of meeting up with his friends-- he knew them too well. They would stick together, stay friends, and get themselves killed. That was foolish and not for Vexen. No, he needed someone...dumber, some one easier-- someone like the kid who was behind him, he decided, with a sneer. That boy they all called Replica. That kid was strong, definitely, but no close friend of Vexen's-- the most interaction they had had was when Replica was failing Chemistry and the teacher had assigned the blonde boy to tutor him. In a word...a dumb strong jock. Perfect.

Replica had come out to see Vexen waiting, and he frowned, confused. "Are you an idiot? What are you doing out here, waiting? I could kill you..."

"Would you?" Vexen sneered, overconfident as always. "You'd kill poor, sad Vexen, who helped you at home? Would you?" He did not wait for a reply; but he might have been wise to have. "Ally with me. We'll--" he thought quickly-- what would a kid like this want? "We'll find your friends, right?"

Replica was not paying attention; he was looking at the corpse. "Who...who is that?" he asked, in a soft, worried voice. "A girl...?"

"That Selphie girl." The scholar had replied, disinterested. "Silly, sad thing! But anyway, will you--"

His concern had vanished as it came, as it was not _her_ that was Replica's everything lying on the ground. Urgency replaced it instead, and he leapt from the porch, running as he hit the ground. "Shut up already, Vexen. I'll go with you, but hurry before the next kid comes out-- it's Marluxia and I'm sure he's playing. Come on-- run!" They took off, Vexen inwardly congratulating himself and Replica wondering _whereohwhereisshe?!_

--

The girl in question, fair Naminé, was hiding in a dusty attic. She liked it-- the dust was reassuring and calm in it's normalcy. She, more clever then Olette, had taken her assigned weapon-- bizarre, but effective, a blow-gun with a bag of probably poisoned darts-- and used the sharp tip to pick a lock. She had locked it behind her as well, and she had barricaded the attic from the inside-- no one would ever guess she was there. The zones did not worry her, and neither did the game-- Naminé, eternally serene, would die before she murdered. So-- it was best to simply die up here alone in the cobwebbed attic when the collar exploded and ripped out her neck.

But it was okay, because they had left her her light-green backpack and the precious, _precious_ sketchbook and the beloved pastels that it contained. 

The dust would settle on her and her-- bloody, she imagined, because she intended to draw right until the end-- sketchbook, and think she was perhaps a pretty, but broken doll, left in the attic by quickly-growing-old-children.

In short, she was _ready_ for death, in a way that young girls should never be. But she, at least, she assured herself, would not go insane and she would not suffer.

She opened her sketchbook and started to draw a cheery rainbow to tack on the wall for decoration.

--

Axel's assigned weapon was one of the better ones-- a fancy Model 500 Revolver, fully loaded, as well as containing an extra clip.

Pity, he thought, grinning at it, that he didn't intend to shoot anyone with it.

Axel was a smart kid, who knew more then enough about the world at age 16. He knew that some, probably many, would be playing this game, and that the rest would be hiding, trying to think of some other way off the damn island. It would not do to find either group-- in a life-or-death situation, it is better to work alone. 

Sad, then, that he'd never see his friends again, he thought briefly. But hey, duty was calling Axel to attack the school and overthrow the system-- shoot that goddamned bluehaired freak with this gun _he_ gave me-- and if he died in the effort, well, so be it. Go out in a blaze of glory, don't ya know.


	3. Start Game 1

Rep is called Nise in here. Apparently, "replica" in Japanese is "nisemono." It makes a nicer name then just calling the poor kid Replica :D

I looked over the first two chapters. Geez. Some of it's awfully silly. Hope this is a bit better, hm? Standard disclaimers and warnings, guys and gals.

* * *

"_Riku._" The boy did not respond. Kairi rolled her eyes, and shook him. "Wake _up._ We're sleeping in turns, remember? It's already..." she turned the flashlight on her watch to check. "It's three am. Your turn."

"Mmmm." The boy groaned, forcing himself to at least open his eyes. "Yeah...sorry, Kai."

"It's okay." she said, handing him the flashlight and drawing her knees up to her chest. "Are you worried?" her companion asked. She nodded. "Sora. Where is he? There were gunshots, a little while ago..." Kairi was not given to tears or outbursts, but Riku could hear her voice shaking, just a little. "I don't _think_ it was him, but who knows? Who _could_ know?"

Riku grimaced, trying to keep his own terror at bay. He was going to comfort her, really was going to, before he realized that something she had said didn't make sense. "Gunshots? I didn't hear any. It's impossible, besides! Selphie, she wasn't shot."

"You think only one person's playing?" Kairi asked, laughing a bit but looking terribly sad. "I can't believe that. _Someone's_ got a gun and that _someone's_ shooting kids with it."

Riku raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Not like you to be so down, Kai."

"If Sora was here, it wouldn't be so bad." she replied. "At least we found each other, but I'm just so..." her fingers twisted at the hem of her schoolgirl's skirt. "I'd feel better, if the three of us were together. If it had been you out there, in front of the school...what will Tidus and Wakka do?" she asked abruptly. "They've lost her!"

He didn't want to think about it. He was already pissed, at this stupid game and that people were playing and that Sora was out there alone. Had he found Kairi dead-- well, he was certain he would have gone back and killed that sick fuck Saix where he stood. Or would have tried-- the _soldiers_ were still in there. Riku had every intention of escaping from this goddamned island, and taking Sora and Kairi with him. To that end-- he _had_ to stay calm. Had to. "You've got to sleep." he said, getting up and stretching. "In the morning, when you wake up, we'll decide stuff. Get a plan together and find Sora. Okay? But you've got to sleep for now."

She sighed. "Alright. Right, you're right. Worrying about them won't help, will it?" He didn't answer and she smiled faintly. Right. In the morning...she was asleep in the cool grass, almost before she knew it.

--

The island had two main residential districts, separated down the middle by a strip of forest and surrounded by either small streams or the ocean. Larxene, her unknowing captive Olette, and Namine had all ended up in the south district. Vexen and Replica had found themselves in the northern one.

Replica had an army knife, they found, and he used it to cut a thin door open-- he just cut around the handle. "We'll stay here for now." Vexen reasoned. "It's safest, don't you think?"

His companion did not answer. He had already gone upstairs. The scientist rolled his eyes, putting his bag down on a sofa and opening it. Dumb kid, but, well, it didn't matter. He'd already got them in here, right? Vexen had already explained his strategy.

They'd gotten over a stream-- small, easily waded through-- and that was when Replica said they could stop running. "If Marluxia, or someone else, was chasing us, he'd have caught us by now. We've got to start looking for Naminé, though. She was out before us, but she can't have gone far--"

"No!" Replica looked surprised, Vexen hastened to explain. "Do you think we'll find anyone by searching randomly?" It was not his intention to search for _anyone._ "We'll wait for them to come to us. It's safer that way."

"That's cowardly..."

The scientist boy sneered. "It's practical. What if we find someone playing? And what if that chick's already dead? We've got to be practical, you idiot. _Careful._ I think we should hide." he drew out his map, running his finger over the area marked with miniature houses. "The houses should be right up there."

"What if she dies while we're hiding?" was Replica's quiet question. Had Vexen been a little calmer and a little more adept at listening to people, he would have heard the undercurrent of disgust. But he just assumed that this dumb boy was confused by the idea of _logic._

He shrugged. "Whatever. Just a girl. You forgot about that other one, Selphie, quickly enough. You don't really _love_ her, do you?"

Replica's eyes narrowed. Just a bit. And he lied, "No. Course not. Let's go."

He hadn't said much since then, Vexen mused, going through the bag. Never figured such a dull, jock-like kid to care about the others..._ah._ His weapon was...he held up the plastic bag, curiously looking at his contents. Five syringes, each empty. _No, not empty. Full of air._ he saw. Not too practical, but certainly appropriate, he thought with a lopsided grin on his face. Maybe...there was the sound of something falling from upstairs. The clumsy boy had knocked something over, had he? Vexen took out one of the clear, glass syringes. Maybe it would be best to try out these weapons. He didn't really have much more need for Replica, did he? Now that he was away from the school, but in a house with a chair propped against the door and a knife upstairs, he would be best on his own.

And he really did want to see what happened to humans with oxygen injected into their bloodstreams first hand.

He started towards the stairs, not bothering to sneak or even be quiet. Like the idiot would ever see this coming?

Replica was already at the top of the staircase. It was dark, and Vexen couldn't make out his face. "Hey, Nise--" Nise was Replica's real name, though it was hardly used in practical conversation. But he'd never actually _address_ someone by a silly nickname, especially not when he was going to _kill_ that person. "Find anything useful?"

He was on the stair below the boy, the syringe tucking neatly into his palm. _Do it quickly._ He grabbed out for Replica's wrist, had it for a second, before-- "Auugggghhh!" Vexen shrieked, his left arm flailing backwards and pitching the syringe against the wall. Replica had taken the army knife and drove it into the scientist's shoulder. "Y-you..." he said, gasping in pain. Blood was spreading out from the wound, staining and soaking his crisp white school-shirt.

"You're worthless." Replica sneered, pulling the knife free and resting his foot on the gasping student's abdomen. "A stinking _coward_ who doesn't understand _love_ and who would let _her_ die--!" his voice was getting louder as he spoke, culminating in a furious shriek. "You deserve to die!" he kicked straight out and Vexen overbalanced.

The stairs were curved, tall, winding up and about to the landing that Nise was perched on. Vexen fell badly, flipping over several times. Replica watched passively, wiping the bloody knife on the white carpet. Finally, Vexen's foot got caught between posts on the stairs. He fell out on his back, head hitting the marble floor with a dull thud.

_Must have broken his neck..._ Replica decided, examining the body cursorily. _still, gotta make sure...don't want him to be suffering here..._ He drove the knife through his classmate's skull, bringing it out bloody and grimy. _He didn't deserve to live anyway._

If he was anything, he was not stupid. Nise, who looked so similar to the other boy, Riku, that he'd been nicknamed Replica-- a name that amused him, more or less-- and who was truly in love with Naminé, had never had any attention of playing along with his self-obsessed classmate. He'd gone with Vexen because he'd felt bad for the guy, and because he'd wanted to get the hell out of there besides. He'd felt bad for Selphie Tilmitt, as much as he could with the panic and the stress settling in. Now, though, he could properly mourn her. The poor girl had probably had no intention of killing anyone-- not like _this_ guy, this dead Vexen. Replica had no patience for cowards, who would hide behind another and use them till there was nothing left. But, he promised himself, it's _only_ people like him that I'll kill, and only if I _have_ to. He wasn't out to be a bad guy. He was just out to save his lady.

The silver-haired boy looked around the house once more. He picked up Vexen's bag, pocketing the syringes. There was a rack of knifes in the kitchen; he took these as well. He couldn't throw them, now, but just having them should be helpful.

He was going to leave, but Vexen's eyes on his back were baleful and haunting. He sighed, and pulled the bigger boy's corpse into the center of the floor and then onto the bug couch. He tried to ignore the trail of blood following the corpse's progress and closed Vexen's eyes. "Sorry." he muttered. "But it's your own fault."

It seemed ridiculous to stay in a house. It could be declared a danger zone, and he was fucked if someone with a gun came in and caught him here. Besides-- he'd never find Namine by hiding. _I'm coming..._ he promised the girl silently as he slipped back into the forests.

--

Cloud Strife was _pissed._

Really. This whole fucking _game_. It was crap, complete and utter bullshit. His assigned weapon was a joke-- literally. Just what that Saix bastard thought was funny about giving him a string of barbed wire, when the others had _guns?_

He'd heard the shots some time ago. He had no idea, of course, that it was Roxas, but neither did he care. But kids were playing and kids were _armed._

Cloud had found a small grove of pine trees in the forest, and had decided to climb one. Safer, here-- he could see a few miles out around him. As long as it wasn't declared a danger zone...he touched the metal collar around his neck and snarled, fury building up quickly in him. Treating them like rabid dogs, locking them up here...

he looked out towards the school. He could barely see it's clocktower from the woods he was hidden in. Bastards. Nasty, sick fucks, every one of them.

He had no plan. He had no idea what he would do if he saw one of his classmates now-- though, clearly not kill. He wouldn't play, bit that was all he'd decided so far.

He had no idea that Tifa was looking for him, of course. The brunette girl was in fact very close to him, having opted for the woods as well.

--

Sora was just fine. A little bit nervous, yeah. And lost. _Riku and Kairi could be anywhere..._ It seemed imperative that he find them at once. Them, or Axel, or Leon and his gang-- all that would be just fine.

He was going to escape. He wasn't sure how-- the _collar /i-- carried.__Shit._ He began running-- he'd been on a small cliff, overlooking the beach. As soon as he could, he leapt down to the sand, hitting it running. He was fast-- of course, he'd been an athlete. _Was still_ one, he told himself sternly, but the thought was gone almost as it came. What was important now was to _help_ the people up ahead.

Aerith Gainsborough saw him running. She thought, for a second, to flag him down. _Sora, is it you? Stop, it's dangerous!_ But she had hidden with Yuffie Kisaragi in a small, natural rock-cave on the beach. She couldn't call out-- Yuffie was asleep and while she had _thought_ it was Sora, it could be anyone. She couldn't endanger Yuffie, and besides, if it was Sora, nothing would stop him from trying to do something-anything for whoever was out there. Oh, but he was so _reckless_ and all she could do was wish him luck.

He stopped short when the smell hit him. It was something strange-- alien. Thick and sour and sharp. It was, he realized a second later, the rank smell of blood. There were three bodies sprawled out in the shallows, pathetic, broken. The moonlight was dim, but enough to recognize one by. Pence was face-up; he'd fallen on his back. His head was propped up by a jagged rock, but Sora didn't want to look to see if it had penetrated through the boy's skull. He suspected that it had and he fought the urge to be sick.

"Who _are_ you?!" He screamed, furious. "Who's _playing?_" He whirled around, glaring, ready for someone to come out. "Where are you? Come out and tell me _why_ you--" He had stepped on something, something that crunched weakly under his leather schoolshoe. Oh. _Oh._ It was a hand. Seifer's, he realized weakly. This time he _was_ sick, crouching down and vomiting into the ocean. His _hand._

But it calmed him down. Sora's breathing returned to normal, and he sat back against the largest rocks. He barely noticed that he was in the shallows of the ocean, getting wet-- what he did notice was that no one alive was here and that he should have expected this from the beginning.

"Olette's not here, at least. Maybe Almasy attacked these two? Or they ganged up on him?" He was thinking out loud; he tended to do that when he had to sort thoughts out. "No one knew the Twilight kids that well, huh?" He answered himself silently, _Guess you don't know anyone._

It was time to go. Practicality had come back and he saw that he was completely open. If anyone showed up now...he had to move. Couldn't mourn the dead until he'd saved the living. "Sorry, guys..." he muttered, as the rocks faded behind him. Couldn't mourn the dead until...he tried to ignore the tears clustering in the corners of his eyes. _Oh God. Seifer, Pence, Hayner, sorry, so_ sorry.

--

Roxas had heard Sora's challenging, slightly hysterical screams, of course. He thought about turning around-- but only for a moment. Why bother? He examined the gun in his hand-- Seifer's Magnum-- and smiled. It was a twisted, hollow smile, a sociopath's grin. Sora, boring kid, that brown-haired one who was usually so bright and happy. Didn't figure him for an idiot, huh. Funny how people _are._ But he wasn't. Oh no, Roxas was no idiot. He wasn't going to go and break cover for some idiot golden boy who someone else could clean up just as easily.

Besides, the night sky was fading out behind him, replaced by gaudy pink and orange stripes. _The colors come from our filth..._ he remembered. _Progress's price?_

He walked on with these vague, disconnected thoughts, perfectly aware that Fuu and Rai were trailing him. _Got to shake them soon..._

--

Back in the school, Saix checked the time. Six am and the sun was coming up. He reached out and pulled the tin microphone towards him. Time for morning announcements...


	4. Start Game 2

Short chapter. Y'all'll live.

* * *

"Your attention, please." The tinny voice resonated throughout the island, recognizable as Saix's even through the low-quality speakers. These speakers were scattered throughout the island, one in each of the thirty-six districts-- excepting, of course, the school, F-5, the only district already a danger zone. "We'll be starting the game in earnest, now."

Kairi sat up slowly, rubbing wearily at her eyes. "Who izzit?"

Her friend listening closely, his map spread out in the early-morning dew. "That Saix guy. I don't know what he wants, though..."

"First, I've got to list of those dead. Not too many, boys and girls. It's disappointing-- you'll never make any sort of record at this pace."

"Worried for our _record?_" Axel sneered, perched jauntily on a high banister in an old barn. "Stupid bastard..." in one hand he held a long, frayed rope. Part one of what might end up being some sort of plan. "I'd like to see you out here."

"Confirmed dead-- your friends Vexen, Seifer Almasy, Pence, and Hayner. And one girl..." he paused for a moment, as if checking something. "Poor Selphie Tilmitt's gone."

Wakka cursed when the name was read so calmly. "Don't talk like that. Make her sound like she's not important." He was, of course, completely unaware that he would be dead within the hour.

"Now, the first three forbidden zones." Saix's voice was monotonous, but the practiced and quiet sadism behind it all the same. "K-6,"

Kairi looked over at the map, and pointed to the square-- it was all the way on the south side. They were in D-5, just north of the school. Riku nodded and drew a harsh "X" over the zone.

"B-2,"

The bodies of Hayner, Pence, and Seifer didn't care. Aerith Gainsborough and Yuffie Kisaragi did. "We've got to go..."

Yuffie picked up her assigned weapon-- a piece of hard plastic, littered with moving dots. She grinned, and her optimism, Aerith decided, was probably not forced. "It's alright! Give us a chance to find Leon and Tifa and angsty-pants, that's Cloud, you think? Maybe find Sora and his friends, too. Let's go!"

"And G-10. Each zone will become active within the next thirty minutes."

This was all the way over on the western beach. No one had been there.

"Good luck, dear students. The next update is at nine. Please have at least five more out of the way by then or I'll have to activate a few collars on my own."

With this rather grim farewell, the speakers squeaked, rusty, once, then died.

--

Marluxia was quite enjoying himself. An absolutely _lovely_ day, and with such an interesting agenda! He'd drawn a hand scythe, the kind farmers used to cut wheat, he believed. Whatever it was, though, it was _sharp_ and it would kill.

Really, this was nice. It was a chance to rid himself of all the _ridiculous_, poor bastards that he sometimes called his classmates and other times dogs. He hadn't moved much in the night, but the morning was bright and warm and it was time to go.

Anyone would do, really. Anyone at all-- he ducked smoothly behind a tree, right before the shape before him saw. "Who's there?"

Ah. It was one of the brats. Wakka. Very good, Marluxia thought with a smirk. He had not seen Selphie's body, but he had heard her name that morning. And here was one of her best friends. Take care of him, and there's two of the three? Excellent.

"I _said_ who's _there._" Wakka's voice was steady, but he was loud. "Come _out!_" The boy came closer to where Marluxia was hiding. The pink-haired boy came out at the last second, just when Wakka came into striking distance.

"Marlu--?!"

Wakka shut up as he jumped back. His wrist was cut, bleeding, and Marluxia was laughing. "You're _playing?_" he hissed, incredulously. Then-- "Did _you_ kill Selph?"

"Not me." Marluxia flicked the scythe experimentally, the blood flying off in a neat arc. "I'll kill _you_, though." _Well, unless he's got a gun. Then I'm done._

Bu Wakka didn't. He had a more useless weapon-- a samurai sword that he had no idea how to wield. Still, he drew it out, pointing it at his opponent. "Won't either, you rich bag of shit."

They glared at each other, then moved at each other at the same time. The sword hooked into the curve of the scythe, locking the weapons into each other. But Wakka had no free hands for a second-- both hands clutching the hilt of the sword-- and Marluxia took the opportunity to bring up his knee, kicking Wakka solidly in the stomach.

"Oof--" a funny noise, Marluxia thought-- and Wakka fell backwards, pulling and dislodging the sword. Open, now, and his opponent raised the scythe, bringing it down at the boy's head.

Wakka raised his sword, _just in time_-- the very tip of the glittering steel scythe had poked into his skull. He could feel something like a bee sting, and warm blood trickling in his hair and down his neck. No biggie! He pushed out, and kicked his legs into Marluxia's ankles at the same time.

The taller boy did not fall, but he stumbled backwards, the scythe waving wildly out in front of him. Wakka was up in an instant, throwing the big, clumsy sword away in favor of grabbing Marluxia by the collar and slamming him against a nearby tree. "You son of a bitch." he growled, drawing his hand back and punching Marluxia square in the gut. His classmate choked, lurching forward. Wakka let him fall, pushing him down and straddling him. The scythe had flown out of Marluxia's hand, and Wakka kicked it away, eyes never leaving Marluxia's face. "Why would you _play_? Go along with all this? Huh?"

Marluxia didn't answer, still smirking, infuriatingly smug. Instead, he asked a question-- "Are you going to kill me?"

"No?" was Wakka's first thought. And it was true. He couldn't kill someone-- even though his wrist was bleeding and his head still stung-- he couldn't. He closed his eyes, and sighed, tilting his head up to the sky. "No," he said again, stronger this time. "I can't."

Relaxing, even for that second, was a fatal error. Marluxia was in arm's reach of the sword and he-- a fencer, after all-- knew how to use it. In one movement, he had in in hand. In another, he had it through Wakka's stomach. "Uhh--_uhnnn_..." Wakka's eyes were wide with surprise and with agony. "Y-You...fuc—fucker..."

Marluxia stood, pulling the weapon from the boy's abdomen with a smooth, sharp sound. "Wanna die like the samurai, Wakka, dear?" he smiled gracefully as he explained. "They killed themselves when they were beaten. Stabbed themselves right through the stomach. Do you want to die like that? Maybe it'll leave you with _some_ dignity as well."

There was no intelligible answer, just pained moans and tears of pain. Marluxia laughed, kicking Wakka where the injury was. "I'm not that sadistic, you dog. You're lucky." He raised the sword smugly, drawing it back. "I'll just take care of you like--" it swung out in a glittering-red arc, a semi-circle that took Wakka's head off-- no. Not off. The sword was stuck halfway through the boy's neck. Marluxia frowned, disapprovingly. _That wasn't neat at all._ Wakka groaned, and fell gracelssly to the forest floor as the sword was yanked out. "Just won't die, will you?" He raised the sword once more, and drove it through Wakka's skull this time. Slick blood and gray jelly brains were left on the sword. Wakka's mouth was open, and blood was dribbling out of it. _Probably shocked because his brain's spilling out of his skull._ Marluxia thought with cold amusement. _Not a dog. Nasty cockroach, takes forever to kill._

He sheathed the sword, not bothering to clean it, and picked up the scythe, along with his and Wakka's dropped back. There's one for you, Saix, my good sir. Next one is all for me.

--

Demyx was running scared. There had to be somewhere that he'd be safe. Someone he could trust. Oh who, who, _who_? The woods were thinning out, going to end soon, and he'd found no place that he could hide. He had his sights set on a hulking, isolated building ahead of him, though. Should be okay. He hoped. And ran faster.

Demyx was more or less a coward. He had no problem with this-- he was usually a nice kid, after all, friendly and smart and all that. Just easily scared.

In his hand, he clutched tight onto a bow. The three remaining arrows were neatly stowed in his bag.

Closer, closer-- a small hill, and he'd be out in the open for a second. But he was running far too fast to slow down _now._

Something covered his mouth, something else caught him about the waist and pulled him to a stop. He shrieked, but the sound was muffled, and he thrashed desperately. _Someone's caught me. Marluxia. Or that Cloud kid. They'll kill me they'll kill me..!_

"Hey. Demyx. Calm down, man." the voice was trying to be friendly, Demyx registered, but it was strained and tense at the same time. "It's Axel. Remember me? Nod when you're calm, and I'll let go of you. Got it?"

He nodded, relaxing against his friend. This was good. No, this was fucking _awesome._ Axel was one of his few really good friends, and damn, if he wasn't _smart._ If anyone knew a way out of this mess-- it would be Axel.

The redhead let go, and laughed in an undertone. "I saw you from that barn," he pointed Demyx's goal. "Surprised no one got you-- running like that. You were freakin loud, my friend. And you were gonna run over all that?" he waved his hand nonchalantly at the small, open stretch. "If there was a gunman in these woods.."

He could only think to say, "But you must have run over it."

"Walked." Axel said with a shrug. "Because I'm not going to get shot."

This arrogant banter was almost normal and Demyx laughed for the first time since he's woken up on the bus. "Oh, man, Axel. So glad that I ran into _you._"

"I can say the same." Demyx was glad to see that Axel was not lying. "As allies go, you're just what I needed."

Demyx raised his eyebrow. This was absurd. "Bullshit. I'm a wimp, remember? If I _could_ help..."

"You can." Axel slid his fingers over Demyx's collar, instead of explaining. "Come up to the barn-- it's _safe_ there." Demyx was about to protest that it couldn't be safe if they'd both thought to go to it, but Axel had put a strange emphasis on the word. Almost as if he'd meant something else.

Such sneakiness was characteristic of the kid who'd never lost a fight, not for strength but because of his willingness to cheat. In this situation, Demyx trusted it. "Alright." he grinned, feeling good again. "You'd better _explain_ yourself better when we get there, though."

"Don't worry." the redhead replied, all but sauntering out into the field. "I've got ya covered."


End file.
